Feed device for mills for milling grain



July 5, 1949. 1 2,475,381

' FEED'DEYICE FOR MILLS FOR MILLING GRAIN J. A. ERlCKS ON -Filed March 27, 1944 Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES cs rEEnnnvroE-Fon MILLS'FOR MILLING GRAIN term A. Erickson, llack'sdn, Mich.

Application March 27, 1944, Serial "N0.528,'24,6 screams. (c1. z'ztqis) Thisinvention relates to improvements in feed devices for mills for milling grain.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a feed device for a hammer mill or the like which provides a very uniform flow or delivery of the grain to the mill.

Second, to provide a feed device for mills having this feature of providing a uniform flow of is well adapted for use in mills designed for the use of individuals as distinguished from custom mills.

Objects relating to details and economies of :the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims. H A preferred embodiment of the invention is "illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

which: V

Fig.1;is a fragmentary view of a hammer mill embodyingthe features of my invention partially in vertical section on line l- -l of Fig, 2.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view mainly in'yerti'cal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

'Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the feed wheel.

Fig. 4 is a-sectional view on line 5-4 of Figs. 1

and 2. p I 4 Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line's-5 of Figs. 1 and 2. v

I have illustrated my invention as embodied in a hammer type mill in which type mills it is highly desirable that the grain to be milled be uniformly fed or delivered to the mill and also it is highly desirable to provide a mill that requires little'attentionon the part of the user so that the mill may be started and permitted to run fora considerable period of time without fspecifi c attention-for example, in the use of farmers or dairymen the mill may be started and permitted to run while the farmer or dairyman is engagedwith other work or chores.

Inthe accompanying drawing, I illustrate only fragments of ah'ammer mill, the housing being designated'by the numeral I and having a feed opening 2 in one of its end walls. The shaft 3 is suitably driven and is provided with a series of spiders 4 carrying the pivot rods 5 for the haminers16 These are conventionally illustrated is also the screen 'I.

' My feed device comprisesa feed cylinder 8 having inner gandouter cylindrically curved side wall portions 9-ancl IlLrespectively, and flat par- ;allel end wall portions ll. These end wall por- 'tions carry bearings l2 for the feed wheel shaft l3 driven by=a suitable train of gears, one of the gears being shown at M. v

The hopper I5opens to the top of the feed cylinder. Commonly a supply chute is provided from the elevated bin or container for a considerable quantityofgrain to beiground, this supply chute delivering into the hopper. Y The discharge chute 16 opens to the bottom of the feed chamber and this discharge chute is provided with -an inclined bottom ll joining or merging into the outer-"cylindrical side wall portion It above l8. The chutedelivers to the feed open ng 2. Thebottom wall of the chute has a flat-portion I9 at its lower end. It is also provided witha c l'ianneliil which comprises an upwardlyftapered portion 2| constituting a throat,

the-walls of which .;r nerge into the cylindrically curvedwallportion l0, and'a downwardly tapered .portion ;2 2 the; walls of which: merge into the fiat delivery portion of the-chute bottom. This pro- .v a irwnricre d. i r im the i'ee dcylinder and at the same time for'an effective spreading of the grain as it is discharged 'from the chute into the mill. -By reference to Figs. 2 and 5 it will benp ted that the bottom Wall 1dr the c'hute isprovided 'with feed guiding surfaces -disposed ioutwardly beyond the opposite .sides. of theupwardly tapered portion 2| of the P te 2i.- .Tl esee res i disposed feed'guiding surfaces ared isposedin substantial alinement with each dther when viewed transversely of the chutaand are more nearly flat than is the upwardlytapered channel portion 2i intermediate the same. ;A ;considerable po-rtion of the feed that is deposited upon "these oppositely disposed surfaces terihlstdihove intosuch channel portion 2'! as the feed slides fdovvnwardly over the same. This facilitatesan v'nfdi stribution of the feed across the entire 'bbttom of the upper channel portion'Zl. The feed flows from the upper channel portion into the downwardly-tapered"channel j'portidn ifl ftheirelativelylapered.side walls of 'whichfacilitating an evendistribution of the feed ontotheflat'surface of the chute across the entire 'w ifdthth'ere'c'if at its'l ower end.

Theife'e'd wheel, in the preferred embodiment illustrated,comprises a pair of vane members 23 having hub :portions 24 and outwardly tapered "radial 5 integral therewith, these hub por- 'tions receiving the non-circular bushings 26 which 3 are engaged by threaded portions 21 of the shaft l3. It will be noted that the vanes of the two feed wheels are arranged in staggered relation, a partition in the form of a disk 28 being arranged between the vane members.

This arrangement provides a series of pockets 29 which overlap in the feed wheel. The cylindrical walls of the cylinder constitute the outer walls of the pockets and the end walls of the cylinder the outer end walls thereof.

It will be observed that the hopper opens into the feed cylinder so that the ends of the vanes sweep into the bottom of the hopper as the feed wheel rotates and constitute agitators at the bottom of the hopper to prevent clogging.

The vane members are formed of yieldable but substantially rigid material so that they are effective in carrying grain and even portions of cobs, for example, through the feed cylinder and at the same time may yield in the event of a piece of cob, for example, becoming lodged between the discharge throat of the hopper and a vane. The disk 28 is also preferably of flexible material and while it constitutes an efiective partition member may yield to prevent wedgin of the grain.

The cylindrically curved side walls of the cylinder are a substantial arc so that in all angular positions of rotation of the feed wheel, the vanes close ofi direct communication between the'hopper and the discharge chute. As the feed wheel rotates, the pockets are successively brought into communication with the upwardly tapered recess or channel portion 2| so that the contents of the pockets are gradually discharged into the discharge chute, thereby providing a substantially uniform flow of the grain to the mill. The merging of the walls of this recess into the walls of the cylindrical cylinder member it] provides for a gradually opening valve-like action for discharging the pockets of the feed wheel, and it will be noted that the recess is of such length that there is at least one pocket in communication therewith at all times.

The forming of the feed wheel of at least two vane members with their vanes in staggered relation results in a more uniform delivery than would result from a feed wheel formed of a single vane member although desirable results can be secured with a single vane member.

I have illustrated and described my invention in an embodiment that has been found by considerable use to be highly practical and satisfactory. I have not attempted to illustrate and describe various adaptations and modifications as I believe this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

The structure illustrated is adapted for use in grinding different grains. Different screens 1 may be substituted for securing desired variations in the fineness of the product. This however is well understood in the art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a feed device for mills and the like, the combination of a feed wheel cylinder having opposed cylindrically curved side wall portions of substantial arc, a feed hopper opening to the top of said feed cylinder, a discharge chute opening to the bottom of said feed cylinder, said chute comprising an inclined bottom merging into one cylindrically curved wall portion of said feed cylinder and having a central channel therein comprising an upwardly tapered upper portion, the walls of which merge into the said one cylindrically curved wall portion and a downwardly tapered portion, said inclined bottom having a substantially flat feed guiding surface, the tapering edges of said downwardly tapered channel portion gradually merging outwardly into said flat surface to permit the feed to flow transversely over the tops of said edges onto said flat surface while flowing longitudinally of said edges to facilitate a uniform feed from the discharge chute, a driven feed wheel rotatably mounted in said feed cylinder and comprising axially aligned vane members each having a plurality of radial outwardly tapered yieldable but substantially rigid vanes, the vanes of the vane members being disposed in staggered relation, and a yieldable disk arranged between said vane members, the arc of said opposed cylindrically curved side wall portions of the feed cylinder being such that in all angular positions of rotation of said feed wheel direct communication between said hopper and chute is cut off by vanes of the feed wheel, the said vanes and disk coacting to provide a plurality of feed pockets successively opening to said hopper and to said discharge chute, said channel acting to provide a gradually opening discharge for the contents of the pockets to the chute, the vanes sweeping into the bottom of the hopper to constitute agitators at the bottom of the feed hopper.

2. In a feed device for mills and the like, the combination of a feed wheel cylinder having opposed cylindrically curved side wall portions of substantial arc, a feed hopper opening to the top of said feed cylinder, a discharge chute opening to the bottom of said feed cylinder, said chute comprising an inclined bottom merging into one cylindrically curved wall portion of said feed cylinder and having a channel therein comprising an upwardly tapered upper portion, the walls of which merge into the said one cylindrically curved wall portion and a downwardly tapered portion, said inclined bottom having a substantially fiat feed guiding surface, the tapering edges of said downwardly tapered channel portion gradually merging outwardly into said flat surface to permit the feed to flow transversely over the tops of said edges onto said fiat surface while flowing longitudinally of said edges to facilitate a uniform feed from the discharge chute, a driven feed wheel rotatably mounted in said feed cylinder and having a plurality of radial vanes, the arc of said opposed cylindrically curved side wall portions of the feed cylinder being such that in all angular positions of rotation of said feed wheel direct communication between said hopper and chute is cut off by vanes of the feed wheel, the said vanes providing a plurality of feed pockets successively opening to said hopper and to said discharge chute, said channel acting to provide a gradually opening discharge for the contents of the pockets to the chute.

3. In a feed device for mills and the like, the combination of a feed wheel cylinder having parallel end wall portions and opposed cylindrically curved side wall portions of substantial are, a feed hopper opening to the top of said feed cylinder, a discharge chute opening to the bottom of said feed cylinder, said chute comprising an inclined bottom having a flat delivery portion at its lower end and having a substantially fiat feeding guiding surface joining one cylindrically curved wall portion of said feed cylinder and having an upwardly tapered feed guiding channel centrally disposed in said substantially flat feeding guiding surface and merging into the said cylindrically curved wall portion of the feed cylinder and merging along the opposite tapered edges thereof into said substantially fiat feeding guiding surface of said chute bottom below said cylindrically curved wall, and a driven feed wheel rotatably mounted in said feed cylinder and comprising a plurality of vanes, the arc of said opposed cylindrically curved wall portions of the feed cylinder being such that in all angular positions of rotation of said feed wheel direct communication between said hopper and chute is cut oii by vanes of the feed wheel, the said vanes providing a plurality of feed pockets successively opening to said hopper and to said feed guiding channel of said discharge chute.

4. In a feed device for mills and the like, the combination of a feed wheel cylinder having opposed cylindrically curved side wall portions, a feed hopper discharging to the top of said feed cylinder, a discharge chute opening to the bottom of said feed cylinder and comprising an inclined bottom joining one of said cylindrically curved wall portions of said feed cylinder and having a downwardly expanding discharge throat the walls of which merge into said one cylindrical wall portion, said inclined bottom having substantially flat feeding guiding surfaces disposed on opposite sides of said throat and merging into said throat and disposed substantially in a common plane, a driven feed wheel rotatably mounted in said feed cylinder and comprising axially aligned vane members each having a, plurality of radial vanes, the vanes of the vane members being disposed in staggered relation, and a partition arranged between the vanes of said vane members and coacting with the vanes to provide a plurality of feed pockets successively opening to said hopper and to said recess of said discharge chute, said discharge throat being centrally disposed relative to said partition, said discharge throat being of such dimensions that one or more of said pockets communicates therewith at all times.

5. In a feed device for mills and the like, the combination of a feed wheel cylinder having opposed cylindrically curved side wall portions, a feed hopper discharging to the top of said feed cylinder, a discharge chute opening to the bottom of said feed cylinder and comprising an inclined bottom and feed guiding side wall members disposed along the opposlte side edges of the bottom, said inclined bottom joining one of said cylindrically curved wall portions of said feed cylinder and having feed guiding walls offset from the general plane of the bottom of the chute, the direction of said walls longitudinally along the tops thereof being inclined laterally to the direction of the length of said bottom, said walls being relatively shallow to permit the feed to flow over the tops of the same while flowing longitudinally thereof to facilitate a substantially uni form feed from said chute, and a driven feed wheel rotatably mounted in said feed cylinder delivering to said discharge chute.

6. In a feed device for mills and the like, a discharge chute comprising an inclined bottom and feed guiding side wall members disposed along the opposite side edges of the bottom, said inclined bottom having feed guiding walls offset from the general plane of the bottom, the direction of the lengths of said walls being inclined towards each other and inclined laterally to the direction of the length of the bottom, said walls being relatively shallow to permit the feed to flow over the tops of said walls while flowing longitudinally thereof, to facilitate a substantially uniform feed from said chute.

JOHN A. ERICKSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 105,000 Riggsbee July 5, 1870 134,293 Kneisly Dec. 24, 1872 452,623 Smith May 19, 1891 614,415 Allen Nov. 15, 1898 755,330 Sturtevant Mar. 22, 1904 936,883 Garwood Oct. 12, 1909 1,022,774 De Julio Apr. 9, 1912 1,129,338 Davis Feb. 23, 1915 1,364,869 Draver Jan, 11, 1921 1,437,863 Raymond Dec. 5, 1922 1,807,388 Corliss June 29, 1929 2,068,599 Ehrsam Jan. 19, 1937 

